Vehicle-mounted device operation system

ABSTRACT

A vehicle-mounted device operation system, includes: an operating part that is located in a vehicle cabin, and configured to be subjected to operation for manually operating a vehicle-mounted device; a sound collector that is located in the vehicle cabin, and configured to collect speech of an occupant; and a processor configured to determine whether a command to the vehicle-mounted device is included in a content of the speech of the occupant collected by the sound collector, activate the vehicle-mounted device according to the command, when the processor determines that the command to the vehicle-mounted device is included in the content of the speech of the occupant, and highlight the operating part for the vehicle-mounted device activated by the processor.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-237467 filed onDec. 19, 2018 including the specification, drawings and abstract isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted device operation system.

2. Description of Related Art

A speech recognition control system using both speech recognition andeye-gaze detection is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined PatentApplication Publication No. 2017-90614 (JP 2017-90614 A). Morespecifically, the system has a speech recognizer that recognizes theutterance position at which a person speaks, and the content ofutterance, and also has an eye-gaze detector that detects an object tobe controlled, from the line of sight of the person located at theutterance position.

SUMMARY

When the speech recognition function is used as in the system of JP2017-90614 A, an occupant of a vehicle needs to manually perform fineadjustment or tweaking, detail setting, etc. of a vehicle-mounteddevice. In this case, there is still some room for improvement in themanual operability of the vehicle-mounted device.

This disclosure provides a vehicle-mounted device operation systemhaving a speech recognition function, which assures improved manualoperability of a vehicle-mounted device.

A vehicle-mounted device operation system includes: an operating partthat is located in a vehicle cabin, and configured to be subjected tooperation for manually operating a vehicle-mounted device; a soundcollector that is located in the vehicle cabin, and configured tocollect speech of an occupant; and a processor configured to determinewhether a command to the vehicle-mounted device is included in a contentof the speech of the occupant collected by the sound collector, activatethe vehicle-mounted device according to the command, when the processordetermines that the command to the vehicle-mounted device is included inthe content of the speech of the occupant, and highlight the operatingpart for the vehicle-mounted device activated by the processor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance ofexemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denotelike elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an appearance diagram illustrating a front part of a vehiclecabin of a vehicle using a vehicle-mounted device operation systemaccording to a first embodiment, when viewed from the vehicle rear side;

FIG. 2 is an appearance diagram corresponding to FIG. 1, illustrating acondition in which a steering switch is lighted, from the condition ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a front view of a first-tier screen as a display example of ahead-up display in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a front view of a second-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenoperation of an audio device is determined on the first-tier screen;

FIG. 3C is a front view of a third-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenother operation is determined on the second-tier screen;

FIG. 4A is a front view of a second-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenoperation of an air conditioner is determined on the first-tier screenof FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4B is a front view of a third-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenoperation for a driver seat is determined on the second-tier screen;

FIG. 5A is a front view of a second-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenoperation of a seat is determined on the first-tier screen of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 5B is a front view of a third-tier screen as a display example ofthe head-up display in the first embodiment, which is displayed whenmassage operation is determined on the second-tier screen;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of thevehicle-mounted device operation system according to the firstembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of anelectronic control unit (ECU) that constitutes the vehicle-mounteddevice operation system according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functionalconfiguration in the vehicle-mounted device operation system accordingto the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a vehicle-mounteddevice operating routine performed by the vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of thevehicle-mounted device operating routine performed by thevehicle-mounted device operation system according to the firstembodiment;

FIG. 11 is an appearance diagram illustrating a front part of a vehiclecabin of a vehicle using a vehicle-mounted device operation systemaccording to a second embodiment, when viewed from the vehicle rearside;

FIG. 12 is an appearance diagram corresponding to FIG. 11, showing acondition in which operation buttons are lighted, from the condition ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of thevehicle-mounted device operation system according to the secondembodiment; and

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a vehicle-mounteddevice operating routine performed by the vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

A vehicle-mounted device operation system according to a firstembodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown inFIG. 1, an instrument panel 12 is installed in a front part of a vehiclecabin of a vehicle 10 using the vehicle-mounted device operation systemof this embodiment. A windshield glass 14 is placed on a front endportion of the instrument panel 12, and the windshield glass 14 extendsin the vehicle vertical direction and vehicle width direction, todelimit a boundary between the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin.

A head-up display 18 (which will be called “HUD 18” when appropriate) asa display is provided on the windshield glass 14. The HUD 18 is set in aregion of the windshield glass 14 which is located on the vehicle frontside of the driver seat. In operation, an image is projected from aprojector (not shown) provided inside the instrument panel 12, towardthe windshield glass 14, so that information is displayed on the HUD 18.

A steering wheel 16 is provided, via a steering column (not shown), atthe driver seat side (vehicle right-hand side) of the instrument panel12. The steering wheel 16 includes a rim 16A having a generally annularshape. The steering wheel 16 also includes a hub 16B that provides acentral part of the wheel 16, and is located radially inward of the rim16A. The rim 16A and the hub 16B are connected by two or more (three inthis embodiment) spokes 16C.

The spokes 16C are provided at three locations, more specifically,between the right-hand side of the rim 16A and the hub 16B, between theleft-hand side of the rim 16A and the hub 16B, and between the lowerside of the rim 16A and the hub 16B. A right steering switch 24R as oneexample of operating part is provided on the spoke 16C located betweenthe right-hand side of the rim 16A and the hub 16B. Also, a leftsteering switch 24L as one example of operating part is provided on thespoke 16C located between the left-hand side of the rim 16A and the hub16B. The right steering switch 24R and the left steering switch 24L willbe described later in detail. In the following description, the rightsteering switch 24R and left steering switch 24L will be simply called“steering switch 24”, when they are not distinguished from each other.

A center display 20 as a display is provided on a central part of theinstrument panel 12 as viewed in the vehicle width direction. Also, anoperation panel 22 as one example of operating part is provided belowthe center display 20. The operation panel 22 includes a plurality ofoperation buttons 22A. An audio device 32 as one example ofvehicle-mounted device and an air conditioner 34 as another example ofvehicle-mounted device (see FIG. 6) are operated by pressing particularones of the operation buttons 22A, for example. Also, informationdisplayed on the center display 20 is changed, and a navigation systemis operated, by pressing the operation buttons 22A, for example.

A microphone 26 as a sound collector is provided on the instrument panel12, to be located on the vehicle front side of the driver seat. In thisembodiment, the microphone 26 is arranged to collect speech of anoccupant (in particular, the driver).

Hardware Configuration

As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle-mounted device operation system includesan electronic control unit (ECU) 30 as a controller. The ECU 30 iselectrically connected to the microphone 26, HUD 18, steering switches24, center display 20, operation panel 22, audio device 32, airconditioner 34, seat control device 36, and illuminance sensor 38.

The audio device 32, when activated, reproduces music, etc., anddelivers music, etc. from a speaker or speakers (not shown) provided inthe vehicle cabin. The air conditioner 34, when activated, causes airhaving a temperature controlled to a given temperature, to blow out intothe vehicle cabin.

The seat control device 36 controls a vehicle seat. More specifically,the seat control device 36 can change the position of the vehicle seatin the vehicle longitudinal direction, the height of the vehicle seat,the reclining angle of the vehicle seat, and so forth. Also, the seatcontrol device 36 of this embodiment is arranged to give a massage tothe back of the occupant, by expanding and contracting an air bagprovided in a seat back of the vehicle seat. In this embodiment, theaudio device 32, air conditioner 34, and seat control device 36correspond to vehicle-mounted devices.

The illuminance sensor 38, which is provided in the vehicle cabin, forexample, is arranged to measure the illuminance of the surroundings ofthe vehicle 10.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the ECU30 that constitutes the vehicle-mounted device operation system. Asshown in FIG. 7, the ECU 30 includes a central processing unit (CPU)(processor) 40, read-only memory (ROM) 42, random access memory (RAM)44, storage 46, and communication interface 48. These components areconnected via a bus 50 such that they can communicate with one another.

The CPU 40 executes various programs, and controls each part of thesystem. Namely, the CPU 40 reads a program from the ROM 42 or storage46, and executes the program, using the RAM 44 as a workspace. The CPU40 controls each of the above components and performs variouscomputations, according to programs stored in the ROM 42 or storage 46.

The ROM 42 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 44 servingas a workspace temporarily stores a program or data. The storage 46 isin the form of a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), andstores various programs including an operating system, and various data.

The communication interface 48 permits the ECU 30 to communicate with aserver and other devices, and standards, such as Ethernet (registeredtrade name), Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), and Wi-Fi(registered trade name), are used for communications involving thecommunication interface 48.

Functional Configuration

The vehicle-mounted device operation system implements variousfunctions, using the hardware resources shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. Thefunctional configuration provided by the vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle-mounted device operation systemincludes, as its functional components, a speech recording unit 52,speech extracting unit 54, speech determining unit 56, vehicle-mounteddevice activating unit 58, highlighting unit 60, brightness changingunit 62, and light-source selecting unit 64. To realize each of thefunctional components, the CPU 40 of the ECU 30 reads a program storedin the ROM 42 or storage 46, and executes the program.

The speech recording unit 52 records speech given by an occupant andcollected with the microphone 26. The speech extracting unit 54 extractsa particular word or words from the speech recorded by the speechrecording unit 52. The particular words mentioned herein are wordsconcerning commands directed to the vehicle-mounted devices. In thisembodiment, the speech extracting unit 54 extracts a word or wordsconcerning a command to any one of the audio device 32, air conditioner34, and seat control device 36. The speech extracting unit 54 mayextract a particular word or words as a command to a certainvehicle-mounted device, even in the case where the words do not includethe specific name of the vehicle-mounted device. For example, when theoccupant utters words “It's hot”, the words may be extracted as acommand to the air conditioner 34.

The speech determining unit 56 determines whether a command to anyvehicle-mounted device is included in the speech, based on the contentof the speech of the occupant extracted by the speech extracting unit54. More specifically, the speech determining unit 56 determines thevehicle-mounted device to be operated and the content of operation, fromthe content of the speech of the occupant.

The vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 activates thevehicle-mounted device to be operated, according to the content ofoperation instructed by the occupant. For example, when the occupantsays “It's hot”, the speech determining unit 56 determines that thevehicle-mounted device to be operated is the air conditioner 34. Then,the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 activates the airconditioner 34, so as to introduce cold air into the vehicle cabin. Whencold air has already been introduced into the vehicle cabin by means ofthe air conditioner 34, the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58activates the air conditioner 34, so as to lower the temperature of thecold air introduced into the vehicle cabin, or increase the volume ofthe air.

The highlighting unit 60 highlights the operating part for thevehicle-mounted device activated by the vehicle-mounted deviceactivating unit 58. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, theoperating part for the air conditioner 34 is set to the left steeringswitch 24L, as one example; thus, highlighting is performed by lightingor blinking the left steering switch 24L.

As shown in FIG. 8, the brightness changing unit 62 changes thebrightness when the highlighting unit 60 lights or blinks the operatingpart. More specifically, the brightness changing unit 62 changes thebrightness according to the illuminance of the surroundings of thevehicle 10 measured by the illuminance sensor 38 (see FIG. 6). Namely,as the illuminance of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 measured by theilluminance sensor 38 is lower, the brightness at the time of lightingor blinking of the operating part is reduced. Conversely, as theilluminance of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 measured by theilluminance sensor 38 is higher, the brightness is changed to beincreased.

The light-source selecting unit 64 selects a light source ofillumination when the operating part is lighted or blinked. In thisembodiment, two or more light sources are provided for lighting orblinking the right steering switch 24R and left steering switch 24L, andthe respective light sources emit light beams having different colors.The light-source selecting unit 64 selects a light source with a colorthat is easy to be seen by the occupant, depending on the illuminance ofthe surroundings of the vehicle 10 measured by the illuminance sensor38, so that the right steering switch 24R and the left steering switch24L are lighted or blinked with light from the selected light source.

Description of Display Information

Here, display information displayed on the HUD 18 of this embodimentwill be described. On the HUD 18 of this embodiment, information on thevehicle-mounted devices is displayed in a hierarchical way. FIG. 3Ashows a first-tier menu screen (home screen). On the first-tier screen,four (upper, lower, left and right) icons are displayed.

An audio icon 102, which is concerned with the function of the audiodevice 32, is displayed on the upper part of the first-tier screen. Anair-conditioner icon 104, which is concerned with the function of theair conditioner 34, is displayed on the left part of the first-tierscreen.

A seat icon 106, which is concerned with the function of the seatcontrol device 36, is displayed on the lower part of the first-tierscreen. An icon 108 that is concerned with other functions is displayedon the right part of the first-tier screen.

In this connection, the steering switch 24 shown in FIG. 1 includes acapacitive sensor, and is adapted to detect a swipe action with thefinger of the occupant. Also, the steering switch 24 is configured to beable to be pressed. In operation, any icon is selected through a swipeaction, and then determined when the steering switch 24 is pressed.

FIG. 3B shows a second-tier menu screen. The second-tier screen isdisplayed when the left steering switch 24L is pressed in a conditionwhere the icon 102 is selected through a swipe action over the leftsteering switch 24L. An icon 110 for selection of a sound source isdisplayed on the upper part of the second-tier screen, and this icon 110is used for changing the sound source of the audio device 32. Forexample, the icon 110 is selected, so that the sound source is switchedfrom music stored in a storage area of the audio device 32 to radio.

An icon 112 for switching of a playback mode is displayed on the leftpart of the second-tier screen, and this icon 112 is determined, so thatthe playback mode of music, for example, can be switched or changed.

An icon 114 for selection of the sound source is displayed on the lowerpart of the second-tier screen. Like the icon 110, the icon 114 is usedfor changing the sound source of the audio device 32. Also, the icon 114is used for switching the sound source in reverse order, with respect tothat of the icon 110.

An icon 116 concerned with other functions is displayed on the rightpart of the second-tier screen. Also, a screen central part 117 can beselected on the second-tier screen, and the screen returns to thefirst-tier menu screen when the left steering switch 24L is pressed in acondition where the screen central part 117 is selected.

FIG. 3C shows a third-tier menu screen. The third-tier screen isdisplayed when the left steering switch 24L is pressed in a conditionwhere the icon 116 is selected through a swipe action over the leftsteering switch 24L.

An icon 118 for increasing the volume is displayed on the upper part ofthe third-tier screen, and an icon 122 for lowering the volume isdisplayed on the lower part of the screen. An icon 120 for muting audiois displayed on the left part of the third-tier screen. Also, thethird-tier screen returns to the second-tier screen, when the leftsteering switch 24L is pressed in a condition where a screen centralpart 123 of the third-tier screen is selected.

FIG. 4A shows a second-tier menu screen that is different from that ofFIG. 3B. The second-tier screen is displayed when the left steeringswitch 24L is pressed in a condition where the icon 104 (see FIG. 3A) isselected on the first-tier screen through a swipe action over the leftsteering switch 24L.

The second-tier screen is used for determining the destination of air ofwhich the temperature has been controlled by the air conditioner 34, andan icon 126 on the upper part of the screen is provided forautomatically controlling the destination of the air from the airconditioner 34. When the icon 126 is determined, the destination of theair is automatically selected so that the temperature in the vehiclecabin is kept uniform. An icon 130 on the lower part of the screen isprovided for feeding the air toward the rear seat.

An icon 124 on the right part of the screen is provided for feeding theair toward the driver seat. Also, an icon 128 on the left part of thescreen is provided for feeding the air toward the passenger seat.Further, the screen returns to the first-tier menu screen when the leftsteering switch 24L is pressed in a condition where a screen centralpart 131 of the second-tier screen is selected.

FIG. 4B shows a third-tier menu screen that is different from that ofFIG. 3C. The third-tier screen is displayed when the icon 124, icon 128,or icon 130 is determined in FIG. 4A.

An icon 132 on the upper part of the third-tier screen is provided forincreasing the airflow amount, i.e., the amount of air delivered fromthe air conditioner 34, and an icon 136 on the lower part of the screenis provided for reducing the airflow amount. Also, an icon 138 on theright part of the screen is provided for raising the set temperature ofthe air conditioner 34, and an icon 134 on the left part of the screenis provided for lowering the set temperature. Further, the screenreturns to the second-tier menu screen when the left steering switch 24Lis pressed in a condition where a screen central part 139 of thethird-tier screen is selected.

FIG. 5A shows a second-tier menu screen that is different from those ofFIG. 3B and FIG. 4A. The second-tier screen is displayed when the leftsteering switch 24L is pressed in a condition where the icon 106 (seeFIG. 3A) is selected on the first-tier screen through a swipe actionover the left steering switch 24L.

An icon 141 on the upper part of the second-tier screen is provided forchanging the level of the seat, and an icon 140 on the left part of thescreen is provided for changing the reclining angle. Also, an icon 142on the lower part of the screen is provided for implementing a massagefunction, and an icon 144 on the right part of the screen is providedfor changing the longitudinal position of the seat. Further, the screenreturns to the first-tier menu screen, when the left steering switch 24Lis pressed in a condition where a screen central part 145 of thesecond-tier screen is selected.

FIG. 5B shows a third-tier menu screen, which is displayed when the icon142 is determined in FIG. 5A. An icon 146 on the upper part of thethird-tier screen is provided for increasing the power of massage, andan icon 150 on the lower part of the screen is provided for reducing thepower of massage.

An icon 148 on the left part of the third-tier screen is provided forautomatically adjusting the power of massage, and an icon 152 on theright part of the screen is provided for stopping massage. Also, thescreen returns to the second-tier menu screen, when the left steeringswitch 24L is pressed in a condition where a screen central part 153 ofthe third-tier screen is selected.

As described above, in this embodiment, a selected one of the screens ofFIG. 3A to FIG. 5C is displayed on the HUD 18 when the left steeringswitch 24L is operated. When the right steering switch 24R is operated,information concerning the function of cruise control, for example, isdisplayed on the HUD 18.

Example of Vehicle-Mounted Device Operating Routine

Referring next to the flowchart of FIG. 9, one example of avehicle-mounted device operating routine performed by thevehicle-mounted device operation system will be described. Thevehicle-mounted device operating routine is executed when the ignition(power) of the vehicle 10 is turned on, for example, such that the CPU40 reads a program from the ROM 42 or storage 46, and develops andexecutes the program in the RAM 44. The vehicle-mounted device operatingroutine is repeatedly executed at intervals of several milliseconds, forexample.

As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 40 determines in step S202 whether speech isdetected. More specifically, when speech of an occupant is collected bythe microphone 26 (see FIG. 6) as the sound collector, the CPU 40determines that speech is detected, and proceeds to step S204. When nospeech of the occupant is collected by the microphone 26, the CPU 40finishes the current cycle of the vehicle-mounted device operatingroutine.

The CPU 40 starts recording the speech in step S204, and determines instep S206 whether a command to any vehicle-mounted device is included inthe recorded speech of the occupant, using the function of the speechdetermining unit 56 (see FIG. 8). In the following description,processing in the case where the air conditioner 34, as one example ofvehicle-mounted device, is activated will be described. Thus, the CPU 40determines in step S206 whether a command to the air conditioner 34 isincluded in the recorded speech.

When the CPU 40 determines that a command to the air conditioner 34 isincluded in the speech of the occupant, it proceeds to step S208. Whenthe CPU 40 determines that no command to the air conditioner 34 isincluded, it finishes the current cycle of the vehicle-mounted deviceoperating routine.

In step S208, the CPU 40 activates the air conditioner 34, using thefunction of the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 (see FIG. 8).For example, when the occupant says “It's hot”, the CPU 40 activates theair conditioner 34 to cause cold air to blow into the vehicle cabin, soas to lower the temperature in the cabin. Also, when the occupant says“It's cold”, the CPU 40 activates the air conditioner 34 to cause warmair to blow into the vehicle cabin, so as to raise the temperature inthe cabin. Further, when the occupant says “Turn on the airconditioner,” the CPU 40 activates the air conditioner 34 to cause airhaving a temperature controlled to a preset temperature, to blow intothe vehicle cabin.

In step S210, the CPU 40 lights or blinks the left steering switch 24L,using the function of the highlighting unit 60 (see FIG. 8). In thisembodiment, as one example, the left steering switch 24L is lighted, asshown in FIG. 2. At this time, the brightness and light source ofillumination for lighting the left steering switch 24L are controlled orselected according to the illuminance of the surroundings of the vehicle10 measured by the illuminance sensor 38 (see FIG. 6), by use of thefunctions of the brightness changing unit 62 and the light-sourceselecting unit 64 (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 40 displays information on the HUD 18 (seeFIG. 2) in step S212. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, thethird-tier menu screen is displayed. Namely, the CPU 40 displaysinformation that enables manual operation of the air conditioner 34, onthe HUD 18, so that the airflow amount and set temperature of the airconditioner 34 can be changed.

As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 40 determines in step S214 whether thefingers of the occupant are off the left steering switch 24L, namely,whether the fingers are not in touch with the left steering switch 24L.The left steering switch 24L includes a capacitive sensor; therefore,when there is no change in capacitance, the CPU 40 determines that thefingers of the occupant are off the left steering switch 24L, andproceeds to step S216.

On the other hand, when any finger is in touch with the left steeringswitch 24L, the CPU 40 determines that the occupant is operating theleft steering switch 24L, and repeatedly executes step S214 until thefinger of the occupant moves away from the left steering switch 24L.

The CPU 40 determines in step S216 whether a predetermined time haselapsed. When the predetermined time elapses in a condition where thefingers are off the left steering switch 24L, the CPU 40 proceeds tostep S218.

In step S218, the CPU 40 turns off the light of the left steering switch24L. Namely, when the predetermined time elapses without having the leftsteering switch 24L operated, the CPU 40 returns the system to acondition before the left steering switch 24L is highlighted. Then, theCPU 40 finishes the vehicle-mounted device operating routine.

Functions

Next, the functions of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle-mounted device operation system of thisembodiment includes the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58. Whenthe speech determining unit 56 determines that a command to a certainvehicle-mounted device is included in the speech, the vehicle-mounteddevice activating unit 58 activates the vehicle-mounted device. Thismakes it possible to activate the vehicle-mounted device withoutrequiring the occupant to perform manual operation via the operatingpart, such as the steering switches 24.

The vehicle-mounted device operation system also includes thehighlighting unit 60, and the highlighting unit 60 highlights theoperating part (in this embodiment, the left steering switch 24L) formanually operating the vehicle-mounted device activated by thevehicle-mounted device activating unit 58. This makes it possible tosave the occupant the trouble of finding the position of the operatingpart with which the occupant operates the vehicle-mounted device.Namely, after activating the vehicle-mounted device using the speechrecognition function, it is possible to change conditions of thevehicle-mounted device by subsequent manual operation. For example, whenthe occupant says “It's hot,” the vehicle-mounted device activating unit58 functions to activate the air conditioner 34 to deliver cold air intothe vehicle cabin, so as to lower the temperature in the cabin, and thehighlighting unit 60 functions to light the left steering switch 24L. Asa result, the occupant intuitively understands that he/she is merelyrequired to operate the left steering switch 24L that is being lighted,when he/she wishes to further lower the set temperature. Thus, theoperability of the vehicle-mounted device can be improved.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the right steeringswitch 24R and left steering switch 24L provided on the steering wheel16 serve as operating parts. With this arrangement, when the driveractivates or operates the vehicle-mounted device through manualoperation, he/she does not need to release the hand from the steeringwheel 16.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, highlighting is performed by lightingthe left steering switch 24L. Thus, the occupant can intuitivelyrecognize the position of the operating part for the vehicle-mounteddevice.

Also, in this embodiment, the brightness changing unit 62 as shown inFIG. 8 functions to lower the brightness of the left steering switch 24Lat the time of lighting as the illuminance level of the surroundings ofthe vehicle 10 is lower. On the other hand, the brightness of the leftsteering switch 24L is increased as the illuminance level of thesurroundings of the vehicle 10 is higher. Thus, the comfortability canbe improved, as compared with the case where the left steering switch24L is lighted or blinked with a fixed brightness level. Namely, theoccupant is less likely or unlikely to feel that the operating part istoo bright when the vehicle 10 is placed in dark surroundings. Also, itis less likely or unlikely to be difficult for the occupant to recognizethe position of the operating part that is being lighted or blinked whenthe vehicle 10 is placed in bright surroundings. In particular, theoperating part, such as the steering switches 24, is located closer tothe driver, than the operation panel 22; thus, the comfortability can befurther improved by suitably adjusting the brightness.

When the light source of illumination is selected in accordance with theilluminance of the surroundings of the vehicle 10, by use of thefunction of the light-source selecting unit 64, substantially the sameeffect as that provided when the brightness is changed can be obtained.Namely, the left steering switch 24L is lighted with a light source thatemits light having a dark color when the vehicle 10 is placed in darksurroundings, and the left steering switch 24L is lighted with a lightsource that emits light having a bright color when the vehicle 10 isplaced in bright surroundings, so that the comfortability can beimproved.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, whenthe predetermined time elapses without having the left steering switch24L operated, in a condition where the left steering switch 24L is beinglighted, the illumination of the left steering switch 24L is turned off.It is thus possible to cancel or terminate the highlighted conditionwithout requiring the occupant to perform any special operation.

Further, in this embodiment, information on the activatedvehicle-mounted device is displayed on the HUD 18, so that the drivercan visually confirm that the vehicle-mounted device has been activated.Also, the third-tier information that permits manual operation of theair conditioner 34 is displayed, so that the driver can continue toperform manual operation while viewing the HUD 18.

In the vehicle-mounted device operating routine of this embodiment, thevehicle-mounted device, such as the air conditioner 34, is activated byuse of the function of the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58,and the operating part is highlighted. However, the disclosure is notlimited to this mode of operation. For example, a vehicle-mounted deviceoperating routine as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 may be performed.

Modified Example

As shown in FIG. 10, in step S302 to step S306, substantially the sametasks as those of step S202 to step S206 of FIG. 9 are performed.Namely, the CPU 40 determines in step S302 whether speech is detected,and starts recording speech in step S304 when speech is detected. Also,the CPU 40 determines in step S306 whether a command to anyvehicle-mounted device is included in the recorded speech of theoccupant. In the following description, processing in the case where theair conditioner 34, as one example of vehicle-mounted device, isactivated will be described. Thus, the CPU 40 determines in step S306whether a command to the air conditioner 34 is included in the recordedspeech.

When the CPU 40 determines in step S306 that a command to the airconditioner 34 is included, it proceeds to step S308 to bring the airconditioner 34 into an operable state. In step S310, the CPU 40 lightsthe left steering switch 24L, as shown in FIG. 2, using the function ofthe highlighting unit 60 (see FIG. 8).

Further, the CPU 40 displays information on the HUD 18 in step S312.More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the third-tier menu screen isdisplayed. Namely, in the vehicle-mounted device operating routineaccording to the modified example, the CPU 40 lights the left steeringswitch 24L after placing the air conditioner 34 in an operable state,and further displays conditions of the air conditioner 34 on the HUD 18.The “operable state” mentioned herein means a state in which theoccupant can activate the vehicle-mounted device by one action. Forexample, when the occupant activates the air conditioner 34 via manualoperation, to change the temperature of air delivered to the driverseat, it is necessary to determine the air-conditioner icon 104 from thefirst-tier menu screen shown in FIG. 3A, and then determine the icon 124from the second-tier menu screen shown in FIG. 4A. On the other hand, inthis modified example, step S308 to step S312 are executed, so that thedriver can change the temperature, merely by manually operating andpressing the left steering switch 24L that is being lighted.

The tasks of step S314 and subsequent steps are substantially identicalwith those of step S214 and subsequent steps in FIG. 9. Namely, the CPU40 determines in step S314 whether the fingers of the occupant are offthe left steering switch 24L. When the fingers are off the left steeringswitch 24L, the CPU 40 determines in step S316 whether a predeterminedtime has elapsed. Then, when the predetermined time elapses in acondition where the fingers are off the left steering switch 24L, theCPU 40 proceeds to step S318, to turn off the illumination of the leftsteering switch 24L.

As described above, in the vehicle-mounted device operating routineaccording to the modified example, the air conditioner 34(vehicle-mounted device) is not activated by use of the speechrecognition function, but the air conditioner 34 (vehicle-mounteddevice) is brought into the operable state. Thus, the occupant isprompted to perform manual operation on the air conditioner 34, so thatthe air conditioner 34 can be prevented from being activated on its own,as in the case where the occupant wishes to control the temperature inthe vehicle cabin by opening a window, for example. Also, the audiodevice 32 can be prevented from being erroneously activated when theoccupant utters such a word as “music” in a conversation, for example.In FIG. 10, step S308, step S310, and step S312 are executed almost atthe same time; thus, the order of these steps may be changed.

Second Embodiment

Referring next to FIG. 11 to FIG. 14, a vehicle-mounted device operationsystem according to a second embodiment will be described. In thesedrawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same orcorresponding components as those of the first embodiment, and thesecomponents will not be further described.

As shown in FIG. 11, the steering wheel 16 is provided, via a steeringcolumn (not shown), on the driver seat side (the vehicle right-handside) of the instrument panel 12 of a vehicle 70 using thevehicle-mounted device operation system of this embodiment. The steeringwheel 16 includes the rim 16A, hub 16B, and two or more (three in thisembodiment) spokes 16C.

In this embodiment, no operating part is provided on the steering wheel16. Namely, the right steering switch 24R and left steering switch 24Lof the first embodiment are not provided. Also, in this embodiment, nodisplay is provided on the windshield glass 14. Namely, the HUD 18 ofthe first embodiment is not provided. The other configuration issubstantially identical with that of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 13, the vehicle-mounted device operation systemincludes the ECU 30 as the controller. The ECU 30 is electricallyconnected to the microphone 26, center display 20, operation panel 22,audio device 32, air conditioner 34, seat control device 36, andilluminance sensor 38. The hardware configuration of the ECU 30 issubstantially identical with that shown in the block diagram of FIG. 7.

Example of Vehicle-Mounted Device Operating Routine

Next, one example of a vehicle-mounted device operating routineperformed by the vehicle-mounted device operation system will bedescribed with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 14. Thevehicle-mounted device operating routine is executed when the ignition(power) of the vehicle 70 is turned on, for example, such that the CPU40 reads a program from the ROM 42 or storage 46, and develops andexecutes the program in the RAM 44. The vehicle-mounted device operatingroutine is repeatedly executed at intervals of several milliseconds, forexample.

As shown in FIG. 14, the CPU 40 determines in step S402 whether speechis detected. More specifically, when speech of an occupant is collectedby the microphone 26 (see FIG. 6) as the sound collector, the CPU 40determines that speech is detected, and proceeds to step S404. When nospeech is collected by the microphone 26, the CPU 40 finishes thecurrent cycle of the vehicle-mounted device operating routine.

The CPU 40 starts recording speech in step S404, and determines in stepS406 whether a command to any vehicle-mounted device is included in therecorded speech of the occupant, using the function of the speechdetermining unit 56 (see FIG. 8). Here, processing in the case where theair conditioner 34, as one example of vehicle-mounted device, isactivated will be described. Thus, the CPU 40 determines in step S406whether a command to the air conditioner 34 is included in the speech.

When the CPU 40 determines from the speech of the occupant that acommand to the air conditioner 34 is included in the speech, it proceedsto step S408. When the CPU 40 determines that no command to the airconditioner 34 is included, it finishes the current cycle of thevehicle-mounted device operating routine.

The CPU 40 activates the air conditioner 34 in step S408, using thefunction of the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 (see FIG. 8).Also, the CPU 40 lights or blinks the operation panel 22 in step S410,using the function of the highlighting unit 60 (see FIG. 8). As shown inFIG. 12, in this embodiment, upper and lower operation buttons 22Alocated at the right end of the operation panel 22 are lighted, as oneexample. At this time, the brightness and light source of illuminationfor lighting the operation buttons 22A are changed according to theilluminance of the surroundings of the vehicle 70 measured by theilluminance sensor 38 (see FIG. 6), by use of the functions of thebrightness changing unit 62 and light-source selecting unit 64 (FIG. 8).The operation buttons 22A that are being lighted are used for manuallyoperating the air conditioner 34.

As shown in FIG. 14, the CPU 40 displays information on the centerdisplay 20 (see FIG. 12) in step S412. While description about a displayscreen is not provided, a screen having the same content as thethird-tier menu screen shown in FIG. 4B is displayed. Namely, the CPU 40displays conditions of the air conditioner 34 on the center display 20,and allows the airflow amount and set temperature of the air conditioner34 to be changed.

As shown in FIG. 14, the CPU 40 determines in step S414 whether thefingers of the occupant are off the operation panel 22. When the fingersof the occupant are off the operation panel 22, the CPU 40 proceeds tostep S416.

On the other hand, when any finger is in touch with the operation panel22, namely, when any of the operation buttons 22A is operated, the CPU40 repeatedly executes step S414 until the operation button 22A finishesbeing operated.

The CPU 40 determines in step S416 whether a predetermined time haselapsed. Then, when the predetermined time elapses in a condition wherethe fingers are off the operation panel 22 (operation buttons 22A), theCPU 40 proceeds to step S418.

In step S418, the CPU 40 turns off the light of the operation buttons22A. Namely, when the predetermined time elapses without having theoperation buttons 22A operated, the CPU 40 returns the system to acondition before the operation buttons 22A are highlighted. Then, theCPU 40 finishes the vehicle-mounted device operating routine.

Functions

Next, the functions of this embodiment will be described.

With the vehicle-mounted device operation system according to thisembodiment, the operability of the vehicle-mounted devices can beimproved, even in the vehicle that is not equipped with the HUD andsteering switches. The other functions are identical with or similar tothose of the first embodiment.

While the embodiments have been described, the disclosure may beembodied in various other forms, without departing from the principle ofthe disclosure. For example, while the microphone 26 as the soundcollector is provided in front of the driver seat, as shown in FIG. 1,the position and number of the microphone(s) 26 are not limited. Two ormore microphones may be provided at the ceiling of the vehicle cabin,and may be configured to collect speech made by all occupants in thevehicle cabin.

While the vehicle-mounted device operating routine has been describedwith respect to the case where the air conditioner 34 is activated asthe vehicle-mounted device, this routine may also be applied to the casewhere other vehicle-mounted devices, such as the audio device 32 and theseat control device 36, are activated. For example, when the audiodevice 32 is activated as the vehicle-mounted device, the CPU 40determines in step S206 of FIG. 9 whether a command to the audio device32 is included in speech. When the occupant says “Play music,” the CPU40 activates the audio device 32, so as to play music in the vehiclecabin. Also, when the occupant says “Lower the volume,” in a conditionwhere music is being played, the CPU 40 may activate the audio device 32so as to lower the volume. Further, in step S212, the CPU 40 may displaythe third-tier menu screen shown in FIG. 3C, on the HUD 18. In thismanner, the occupant can change the volume, without performing manualoperation on the first-tier and second-tier screens.

While the left steering switch 24L as the operating part is lighted inthe illustrated embodiment, the disclosure is not limited to this case.For example, when the right steering switch 24R serves as the operatingpart, the right steering switch 24R is lighted. Also, the right steeringswitch 24R and the left steering switch 24L may be blinked.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the operation buttons 22A arelighted or blinked with the same color, as shown in FIG. 12. However,the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. For example, theupper operation button 22A, as one of the upper and lower operationbuttons 22A that are lighted or blinked, may be lighted with red color,and the lower operation button 22A may be lighted with blue color. Inthis manner, even in the case where the driver is located at a distancefrom the operation buttons 22A, the driver can intuitively distinguishthe button for raising the set temperature, from the button for loweringthe set temperature, for example.

While the operation button 22A serves as the operating part in FIG. 12,the operating part is not limited to this type. In a structure using adial-type operating part, the dial-type operating part may be lighted orblinked. Further, in a structure including a touch-panel type centerdisplay, a portion representing a button displayed on the center displaymay be lighted or blinked.

In the illustrated embodiments, highlighting is performed by lighting orblinking the operating part; however, the manner of highlighting is notlimited to this. For example, in a vehicle having an initial conditionwhere the operating part as a whole is lighted so as to improve thedesign quality of the vehicle interior, the light of the operating partmay be turned off except for particular button(s) or switch(es), by useof the function of the highlighting unit. In this case, only theoperating part for permitting manual operation of the vehicle-mounteddevice is kept in a lighted or illuminated state, so that the occupantcan be informed of the position of the operating part. Also, only theparticular button(s) or switch(es) may be blinked, or only theparticular button(s) or switch(es) may be lighted with another color, soas to provide substantially the same effect.

The routine in which the air conditioner 34 is activated by use of thefunction of the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 has beendescribed with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9, and the routine inwhich the air conditioner 34 is brought into the operable state by useof the function of the vehicle-mounted device activating unit 58 hasbeen described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10. However,these routines may be combined together. In this case, in step S206 ofFIG. 9, the CPU 40 may determine whether the content of the speechdelivered by the occupant is a command to operate the air conditioner34, or a command to bring the air conditioner 34 into the operablestate. Then, when the content of the speech delivered by the occupant isa command to operate the air conditioner 34, the CPU 40 proceeds to stepS208, to operate the air conditioner 34. This corresponds to the casewhere the occupant says “It's hot,” or “It's cold,” for example.

On the other hand, when the content of the speech delivered by theoccupant is a command to bring the air conditioner 34 into the operablestate, the CPU 40 proceeds to step S308 (see FIG. 10), to bring the airconditioner 34 into the operable state. This corresponds to the casewhere the occupant utters words “Air conditioner”, for example.

While the HUD 18 of the illustrated embodiment is configured to projectan image onto the windshield glass 14, it is not limited to thisconfiguration. For example, a combiner may be provided on the instrumentpanel, and an image may be projected onto the combiner.

In this specification, the concept of “activation” is not limited to theoperation to activate the vehicle-mounted device that has not beenactivated, but includes operation to change a condition of thevehicle-mounted device that is in operation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle-mounted device operation system,comprising: a plurality of steering switches located on a steering wheelthat are located in a vehicle cabin, and configured to be subjected tooperation for manually operating a vehicle-mounted device; a microphonethat is located in the vehicle cabin, and configured to collect speechof an occupant; and a processor configured to determine whether acommand to the vehicle-mounted device is included in a content of thespeech of the occupant collected by the microphone, activate thevehicle-mounted device according to the command, when the processordetermines that the command to the vehicle-mounted device is included inthe content of the speech of the occupant, and highlight a part of theplurality of steering switches for the vehicle-mounted device activatedby the processor.
 2. The vehicle-mounted device operation systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to highlightthe plurality of steering switches by lighting or blinking the pluralityof steering switches.
 3. The vehicle-mounted device operation systemaccording to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to reducebrightness of the plurality of steering switches at a time of lightingor blinking as illuminance surroundings of hide is lower, and isconfigured to increase the brightness as the illuminance of thesurroundings of the vehicle is higher.
 4. The vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality oflight sources configured to emit light beams having different colors,for lighting or blinking the plurality of steering switches.
 5. Thevehicle-mounted device operation system according to claim 1, whereinthe processor is configured to return the plurality of steering switchesto a condition before the plurality of steering switches is highlighted,when a predetermined time elapses without having the plurality ofsteering switches manually operated, after the plurality of steeringswitches are highlighted by the processor.
 6. The vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system according to claim 1, further comprising a displaylocated in a range in which the display is visually recognizable by adriver, wherein the processor is configured to display information aboutthe vehicle-mounted device on the display, when the vehicle-mounteddevice is activated by the processor.
 7. The vehicle-mounted deviceoperation system according to claim 6, wherein the information about thevehicle-mounted device is displayed on the display in a hierarchicalway, and the processor is configured to display information in ahierarchical order that permits manual operation of the vehicle-mounteddevice, on the display, when the vehicle-mounted device is activated bythe processor.
 8. A method of operating a vehicle-mounted device havinga plurality of steering switches located on a steering wheel that arelocated in a vehicle cabin and configured to be subjected to operationfor manually operating a vehicle-mounted device, and a microphone thatis located in the vehicle cabin and configured to collect speech of anoccupant, the method comprising: determining whether a command to thevehicle-mounted device is included in a content of the speech of theoccupant collected by the microphone, activating the vehicle-mounteddevice according to the command, when the processor determines that thecommand to the vehicle-mounted device is included in the content of thespeech of the occupant, and highlighting a part of the plurality ofsteering switches for the vehicle-mounted device activated by theprocessor.
 9. The method of operating the vehicle-mounted deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein highlighting the plurality of steeringswitches includes lighting or blinking the plurality of steeringswitches.
 10. The method of operating the vehicle-mounted deviceaccording to claim 9, further comprising reducing brightness of theplurality of steering switches at a time of lighting or blinking asilluminance of surroundings of a vehicle is lower, and increasing thebrightness as the illuminance of the surroundings of the vehicle ishigher.
 11. The method of operating the vehicle-mounted device accordingto claim 8, further comprising returning the plurality of steeringswitches to a condition before the plurality of steering switches werehighlighted, when a predetermined time elapses without having theplurality of steering switches manually operated, after the plurality ofsteering switches are highlighted.
 12. The method of operating thevehicle-mounted device according to claim 8, wherein a display islocated in a range in which the display is visually recognizable by adriver, and the method further includes displaying information about thevehicle-mounted device on the display, when the vehicle-mounted deviceis activated.
 13. The method of operating the vehicle-mounted deviceaccording to claim 12, further comprising displaying the informationabout the vehicle-mounted device on the display in a hierarchical way,and displaying information in a hierarchical order that permits manualoperation of the vehicle-mounted device on the display when thevehicle-mounted device is activated.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium storing instructions which whenexecuted by at least one processor cause the at least one processor toimplement operations for controlling a vehicle-mounted device having aplurality of steering switches located on a steering wheel that arelocated in a vehicle cabin and configured to be subjected to operationfor manually operating a vehicle-mounted device, and a microphone thatis located in the vehicle cabin and configured to collect speech of anoccupant, the operations comprising: determining whether a command tothe vehicle-mounted device is included in a content of the speech of theoccupant collected by the microphone, activating the vehicle-mounteddevice according to the command, when the processor determines that thecommand to the vehicle-mounted device is included in the content of thespeech of the occupant, and highlighting a part of the plurality ofsteering switches for the vehicle-mounted device activated by theprocessor.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumstoring instructions according to claim 14, wherein highlighting theplurality of steering switches includes lighting or blinking theplurality of steering switches.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium storing instructions according to claim 15, wherein theoperations further include reducing brightness of the plurality ofsteering switches at a time of lighting or blinking as illuminance ofsurroundings of a vehicle is lower, and increasing the brightness as theilluminance of the surroundings of the vehicle is higher.
 17. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructionsaccording to claim 14, wherein the operations further includes returningthe plurality of steering switches to a condition before the pluralityof steering switches were highlighted, when a predetermined time elapseswithout having the plurality of steering switches manually operated,after the plurality of steering switches are highlighted.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructionsaccording to claim 14, wherein a display is located in a range in whichthe display is visually recognizable by a driver, and the operationsfurther include displaying information about the vehicle-mounted deviceon the display, when the vehicle-mounted device is activated.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructionsaccording to claim 18, further comprising displaying the informationabout the vehicle-mounted device on the display in a hierarchical way,and displaying information in a hierarchical order that permits manualoperation of the vehicle-mounted device on the display when thevehicle-mounted device is activated.